Monday, February 23, 2015

McIntosh and Friend

This was more for practice than anything else. I watched a video on values and read a chapter in "Daily Painters" on values. I'm also still trying to get acrylics to look like oil paints. I learned a few things by doing this "study." It's hard to see values when the apple changes color on top where the light is hitting it. Dark red mixed with white looks chalky not lighter. Backgrounds are hard to paint when the lighting on your subject is coming from a lamp right next to it. Shadows are not as dark as you think they are and a few other things I can't remember right now, but I hope I will remember them when I paint something else again.

Thanks Melle. I wasn't sure I could get a good composition out of two apples, but since they overlap I guess that's considered one object. I tried to vary the negative or background spaces also. I had to adjust the horizon line too; somehow it got stuck right in the middle of the vertical side. So I moved it up a little.

Thanks Chris. I enjoyed browsing your inspirational blog. I found it after you made the comment on Karen Margulis' blog, about not feeling guilty about painting the same thing twice or more. I had been thinking of doing a couple of things over again, but didn't know if it was OK to do. I guess it's never comes out the same twice anyway.

About Me - Melanie Dacko Cooper

Objective

I am starting this blog as a record for me and my family and as a challenge to myself--to keep painting.

I will try to remember any art work that I did that I sold or gave away and possible location and post photos if I have them.

The challenge part of this blog for me will be to compare what I did when I was quite a bit younger to what I can do now. Have I gotten any better? I think I am better at some things, but may have also lost some skills. Please feel free to comment.

The images reproduced in this blog are copyrighted by the artist, Melanie D. Cooper. All rights reserved.